Category: LAHBPA

Without Jazz Fest, Turf Ready for Fair Grounds Meet

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Jazz Fest annually leaves the Fair Grounds grass course in need of recovery.

The recent COVID-19-related cancellation of this fall’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival should leave full turf racing opportunities this fall and winter at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, according to Bernard Chatters, president of the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

Fair Grounds annually hosts the music festival, an event known as Jazz Fest, typically in the spring, drawing thousands onto its infield area and leaving its grass course in need of recovery. The event, a staple in New Orleans tourism, was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, and this year it was postponed until the fall before festival officials scrapped it Aug. 8, citing “exponential growth” of COVID-19 cases in the area. It is scheduled to resume next year from April 29-May 8.

 

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Louisiana Horse Industry Under Attack from Unconditional & Unfunded Congressional Mandate, Attorney General Jeff Landry Fights Back

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Louisiana Joins Lawsuit Filed in Federal Court to Protect State from Overreaching, Unaccountable Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority

BATON ROUGE, LA – Fighting to protect state sovereignty, Attorney General Jeff Landry has joined Louisiana to a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Act of 2021 (HISA) – a measure ramrodded into the COVID relief bill that cedes much regulatory and taxation power of the State to an unaccountable nongovernmental entity.

“HISA requires the unelected Authority to exercise regulatory authority over horseracing in Louisiana, mandates our State to assist the Authority, and forces us to choose between remitting funds to the Authority or losing some of our powers of taxation,” explained Attorney General Landry. “This violation of the Tenth Amendment would have devastating effects to our State and the thousands of Louisianans in the horse industry.”

“While I believe that horses should be treated humanely and horseracing should be held to the highest degree of integrity, I know that more bureaucracy from an overreaching and unaccountable fiefdom is not the way to achieve these goals,” continued Attorney General Landry. “We should continue our Legislature’s decades-long delegation of police powers over the industry to the Louisiana State Racing Commission, knowledgeable participants who have collected significant fees and taxes while enforcing our statutes and regulations concerning the health and safety of equine athletes and all other industry participants throughout Louisiana.”

Attorney General Landry’s litigation was met with swift praise and appreciation from those who ply their trade – directly and indirectly – in owning, breeding, training, grooming, racing, and caring for horses in Louisiana.

“The actions of Attorney General Jeff Landry in opposing the HISA law demonstrates his genuine concern for the well-being of the Louisiana horse racing and breeding industry and its participants throughout the State as well as our equine athletes,” said Benard Chatters, the President of the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (LAHBPA).

“The Louisiana Horsemen appreciate and respect the unwavering support of Attorney General Jeff Landry, which he has consistently shown to the Louisiana horse racing and breeding industry throughout our State,” said Ed Fenasci, the Executive Director of the LAHBPA.

Louisiana Judge to Rule Friday on Fair Grounds Emergency Stabling

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By T. D. Thornton

A temporary restraining order issued Sep. 4 has blocked a Louisiana State Racing Commission (LSRC) mandate from taking effect that seeks to force the Fair Grounds to open its backstretch stabling to as many as 500 Thoroughbreds displaced by Hurricane Laura in the last week of August. An Orleans Parish Civil District Court judge is now expected to rule on the injunction after a Sep. 11 hearing.

The news site Crescent City Sports first reported on the 57-page request for injunction filed by attorneys for the Fair Grounds, which is owned by the gaming corporation Churchill Downs, Inc. The filing stated that the LSRC “does not have the legal authority to issue the mandatory injunction” and that “issuing such an order constitutes an unconstitutional taking and violates Fair Grounds’ constitutional rights to due process.”

After the Aug. 27 hurricane wrecked infrastructure at Delta Downs, the racino announced that its property would close to assess and repair damage. The Oct. 6-Feb. 27 meet could be delayed or abbreviated.

Read TDN Article

LA Horsemen Plea to Commission for Emergency Stabling

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By T. D. Thornton

In the aftermath of Hurricane Laura that devastated structures at Delta Downs last week, the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (LHBPA) made a written plea to the Louisiana State Racing Commission (LSRC) Sept. 2 asking for an emergency order to be handed down that would mandate “immediate access to stalls to stable at both Louisiana Downs and Fair Grounds.”

The request for stabling involves both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, and is complicated by meets for both breeds ending and starting within the same rough time frame at Louisiana’s four tracks. Additionally, the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic is making movement of people and horses difficult.

Read TDN Article

Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs Backsides to Open Saturday, May 16

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Attention Horsemen at Delta Downs:

Per Boyd Management:

Starting Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 8AM, the horsemen that have been given stalls at Delta Downs will be allowed to move their horses onto the backside.

Contact stall superintendent Jess Chance at 337-794-7989 prior to arrival to coordinate tack room, feed room and walker wheel assignments.

Check lahbpa.org for updates and advisories.

 

Attention Horsemen at Evangeline Downs:

Per Boyd Management:

Starting Saturday, May 16 , 2020 at 8AM, the horsemen that have been allocated stalls at Evangeline Downs will be allowed to move horses onto the backside.

Anyone that has yet to occupy any stalls at Evangeline Downs MUST contact Randall Leger at 337-678-8635 prior to entrance to coordinate tack rooms, feed rooms, dorm rooms and walker wheel assignments.

Check lahbpa.org for updates and advisories.

LOUISIANA HBPA PARTNERS WITH FAIR GROUNDS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR RACE HORSE AFTERCARE

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Fair Grounds matching funds contributed by horse owners

 

 NEW ORLEANS, LA (February 2, 2020) – The Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (LAHBPA) and Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots (Fair Grounds) have united to partner in an initiative that will expand efforts made by parent company Churchill Downs, Inc. to financially support race horse aftercare.

For the entirety of the Fair Grounds’ 2019-2020 Thoroughbred racing season (Nov. 28 thru March 29), consenting Louisiana HBPA member owners have contributed $5 per starter to race horse aftercare. At the conclusion of the meet, the track will then match that dollar amount. Efforts made during the Fair Grounds’ 12th annual, ten-day summer Quarter Horse Race season resulted in a total race horse aftercare donation of $6,580.

Each year, thousands of racehorses are retired from racing. Many go directly on to second careers as stallions or broodmares while others are retired to organizations that work towards finding new homes and other types of second careers for retired racehorses. This fund-raising effort is geared toward financially supporting groups such as these.

“The Louisiana HBPA thanks Fair Grounds for matching our members’ donations to help with horse aftercare,” said Edwin Fenasci, executive director of the LAHBPA. “Our members care deeply for our equine athletes and want to help find a place for them after their racing career. The LAHBPA has provided financial grants to great charitable organizations like NTWO and New Vocations. Their efforts in Louisiana have been transformative and we look forward to their continued good work. Fair Grounds matching those funds is vital for the success of aftercare in Louisiana and shows their commitment to help this great effort.”

The NTWO works to place Thoroughbreds in the hands of sport horse trainers and owners. They pull from all available resources to be a comprehensive welfare organization that protects racing’s greatest asset, the horse, for the overall benefit of the sport.

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program was founded in 1992 to offer retiring racehorses a safe-haven, rehabilitation, and continued education through placement in experienced, caring homes. Their focus is on adoption versus retirement, believing that each horse deserves to have an individual home and purpose.

New Vocations currently has locations in five different states: Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New York and Louisiana.

“Fair Grounds is proud to be a part of such a worthwhile and supportive funding mechanism that will add resources to assist retired racehorses” said Doug Shipley, president of Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots. “We look forward to working with all of our industry participants and organizations to continue to make a difference.”